Coaching Carousel (UConn)

Connecticut Huskies

Back in 2010 after leading the Huskies to the Big East Conference Title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, head coach Randy Edsall left for the Maryland opening. With a roster full of NFL talent fresh off a BCS Bowl it was thought that the Huskies would be able to get a quality coach to continue their momentum. So when they hired Paul Pasqualoni it was a surprise. Pasqualoni had a good run with Syracuse bringing in Marvin Harrison, Donnavan McNabb, and Dwight Freeney. But a couple of bad years and he was fired. That success in the Northeast and mainly his ability to bring in top notch talent was a big part of why he was hired.

What was overlooked in the hire of Pasqualoni was that he's struggled in his stops after Syracuse. Both Miami and Dallas he flamed out and was let go. He seemed to be out of touch with the current trends. That was evident when the Huskies went 5-7 in both of his first two years. This was despite having five defensive players drafted in that time. The final straw was starting this season 0-4 and having blow out losses to FCS Towson and Buffalo. Pasqualoni was thus fired.

Whoever the Huskies hire they have the ability to have a lot of success at Connecticut. The Huskies have had a ton of NFL talent on their roster (especially defense). The Tri-State area (Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) is chalk full of quality prospects and if the new coach can get the offense going, they should be able to rule the American Athletic Conference for years to come. Now with that said, the Huskies aren't are not a program that is going to be able to get a huge name. They'll likely have to get an assistant or a coach at a lower school. But it is very important they make a good hire here, and not the same mistake when they hired Pasqualoni.

Potential Candidates

Pat Narduzzi (Michigan State Defensive Coordinator)
One of the hottest assistants in college football is the Michigan State defensive coordinator. Narduzzi has done an amazing job building a defense that is yearly considered to be one of the best in the nation. This years might be their best. Narduzzi has been up for a couple of openings, but is waiting for the right fit. Could this be it? Narduzzi has a lot of ties to the area. He was born in New Haven and even attended Rhode Island. Would he want to go back home? Or is he waiting it out for a Big 10 job?

Dave Clawson (Bowling Green Head Coach)
If I had to put money on who they'd hire, it would be on Clawson. There are just so many reasons. Clawson is from the area growing up in New York and went to college in Massachusetts. Clawson's first five coaching jobs were as assistants at various schools in the Northeast. His first head job was at Richmond (Virginia) where he transformed the Spiders into one of the best FCS schools in the nation. Add currently he's turned Bowling Green Green into the top team in the MAC. Firing Pasqualoni now could help them get Clawson before a better program does.

Mario Cristobal (Alabama Offensive Line Coach)
Cristobal is the former Florida International head coach who was fired despite a ton of success with the Panthers. He's currently running the offensive line at Alabama under Nick Saban and learning from one of the best. Cristobal is a great recruiter who has experience in the area from his time as an assistant at Rutgers. Add in his ties in Florida and he could supplement the talent in the Tri-State with Florida kids to really get the program going. Cristobal deserves another chance and was a candidate when they hired Pasqualoni.

Turner Gill (Liberty Head Coach)
Most people probably don't know where Turner Gill has been, but he's currently the head coach at FCS Liberty in Lynchburg Virginia. Gill is last know for his two year tenure at Kansas where he went 5-19 before being fired. But Gill just made a bad decision going there and should be remembered from the success he had turning Buffalo from one of the worst college football programs to a conference champion. His success at Buffalo makes him a candidate here at UConn, but add in that current AD Warde Manuel was the AD at Buffalo when Gill was hired and there are some ties. Now I think Gill is comfortable at Liberty, but if Manuel doesn't get his top couple of choices, don't be shocked if Gill answers the call.

Greg Schiano (Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach)
This would be the home run hire. As most people know, Schiano is not having a great season with the Buccaneers and there is a very good chance he gets fired. UConn would be lucky to have him because of the large amount of success he had building the Rutgers program into a consistent winner. He knows the area and has gotten prospects to stay rather then go to Big 10 or SEC schools. I don't think he goes to UConn, but wouldn't be shocked if they got him. That's if he gets fired in Tampa Bay.